‘Uzeir, West

Gilad Cinamon

15/03/2012

Final Report

During September 2010, a salvage excavation was conducted in the center of ‘Uzeir village (Permit No. A-6012; map ref. 23126–8/744192–222), prior to construction. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by G. Cinamon, with the assistance of Y. Lavan (administration), M. Kahan (surveying), D. Avshalom-Gorni (pottery reading) and M. Hartal (guidance).

The excavation was located in the ‘Uzeir antiquities site, on the southern fringes of the center of Bet Netofa Valley and north of Har Tur‘an (Fig. 1). Ancient burial remains, rock-hewn caves and other finds dating to the Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods are located in and around the village. Remains of a building dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods were uncovered in a 1998 excavation (HA-ESI 113:22*–23*).

One square was opened (25 sq m; Fig. 2) and three strata were discovered: Stratum 1—collapse mixed with modern architectural remains; Stratum 2—remains of a building that dated to the Byzantine period (fourth–sixth centuries CE); and Stratum 3—fills from the Early Roman period.

Stratum 1 – Modern era

The remains of a building foundation from the early twentieth century CE were uncovered in a layer of collapse and accumulations. These are the remains of the property owner’s house that was recently demolished, prior to the construction of a new building. The foundations of the building damaged ancient remains, possibly Byzantine, so severely that it was difficult to distinguish the remains of the modern structure from the Byzantine-period remains.

Stratum 2 – Byzantine period

Two walls (W106, W109; Fig. 3), built of large carefully hewn indigenous stones, formed a corner of a building. Potsherds dating to the Byzantine period were discovered in the walls’ foundation trenches. A floor (L108) of tamped chalk mixed with soil and ash abutted the inside of the walls. Another floor (L104, L105; Fig. 3) was found outside the building, of a similar elevation and composition to Floor 108. A layer of soil with finds from the Roman period was discovered below the floors (below, Stratum 3).

Outside the walls was a layer of collapse that consisted of building stones and fieldstones mixed with an accumulation of potsherds and glass fragments, dating to the Byzantine period. Two wall stumps (L102, L103) built of two fieldstone courses were discovered below the collapse, near the northern and western sides of the excavation square. The context of the walls is unclear.

Numerous potsherds were found, mainly of vessels used in preparing and serving food, including an imported Cypriot Red Slip bowl (Fig. 4:1) and imported Late Roman Red Ware bowls (Fig. 4:2–5). This assemblage of imported vessels is dated from the late fourth to the early seventh centuries CE. In addition, a deep krater (Fig. 4:6), two frying pans (Fig. 4:7, 8) and a single jar (Fig. 4:9) were found.

Stratum 3 – Roman period

Brown soil containing fragments of pottery vessels from the Early Roman period was discovered beneath the Byzantine building. Pottery produced in local workshops was found; the types are characteristic of Kefar Hananya ware, including local cooking pots (Fig. 5:1, 2), lids (Fig. 5:3), a variety of jars (Fig. 5:4–6), a Herodian lamp (Fig. 5:7), as well as a fragment of a stone vessel (Fig. 5:8) and part of a stone mortar (Fig. 5:9).

Based on the excavation finds, the settlement at ‘Uzeir was established in the Roman period, and its inhabitants were evidently Jewish who only used locally produced pottery vessels and stone measuring cups. The settlement also continued in the Byzantine period. The artifacts that were ascribed to this period included fragments of imported pottery vessels, which might be indicative of a diverse population that also included non-Jewish residents. It seems that the site was already abandoned in the Late Byzantine period and its reoccupation occurred in the modern era, at the beginning of the twentieth century CE.